Several types of lights are provided on a machine for a variety of purposes. Lights are provided for their lighting utility and have to conform to lighting regulations of the jurisdiction of their use. A typical machine may include, for example, headlights, turn indicators, brake lights, rear lights, beacon lights, and hazard lights. Usually hazard lights are not separately provided on the machine but function through other lights already provided on the machine. For example, the turn indicators indicates a direction of a turn the machine is about to make during normal operation of the machine. However, during an emergency situation, the turn indicators act as hazard lights instead of indicating the direction of the turn.
Hazard lights are provided on the machine to alert others operating in proximity to the machine of an abnormal dangerous, or potentially dangerous situation. For example, hazard lights may be activated if an operator or another person has been disabled. Hazard lights may also be activated on a disabled machine or a slow moving machine. Generally, an operator is in charge of manually controlling the operation, that is, activation and de-activation, of these lights. The operator activates the hazard lights by providing an input signal to the hazard lights. The input signal may be provided in a number of ways known in the art, for example, by pressing a hazard button provided on the machine. When the hazard lights are activated, the front and rear, left and right turn signals will flash in unison to alert others of the abnormal situation. Seeing the flash of the hazard lights others may take an appropriate action, such as slowing down, stopping, rendering assistance, or maintaining distance. With the advancement of technology and change in design of the machine, mode of operation of these lights may change. For example, it is quite possible and feasible, subject to the regulatory norms of a jurisdiction that hazard lights may be provided as separate lights from other lights provided on the machine. In this case, hazard lights may be used independently of the other lights.
Usually, the lights are operated by the operator of the machine from an operator station provided on the machine. In certain machines, there is a need for having more than one operator stations. For example, large machines such as asphalt pavers may be provided with two or more operator stations for providing a better view to the operator of the machine.
A machine operator operates the lights from only one of the operator stations. When the operator needs to control the operation of the lights, the operator may need to suspend an ongoing task and reach the operator station where a control function for the lights is provided. This is inconvenient and wastes time. Further, this may result in situations where the operator is not able to operate the lights in time and a mishap may result. And if the operator is unable to control the operation of the hazard lights in timely fashion after recognizing and emergency situation, the level of danger to the machine, machine's operator, and other operating in proximity to the machine rises significantly.